MOTORDOM

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 August 1929, Page 7

MOTORDOM

NEWS OF THE ROAD

(By

"Gearbox”)

THE MOTORIST

AS VIEWED BY SCIENCE

How quickly can you stop your car? asks Vincent Wilcox. Don’t answer. This is one of the apparently simple yet exceedingly complicated questions. It sounds easy—foot on the brake- pedal, hand reaching for the parking brake, and trusting to good equipment. Oh, but that part of it is simple, say the scientists of the Federal Bureau of Standards who have co-operated with Dr. F. A. Moss, noted psychologist of George Washington University. The braking equipment on good cars they recognise as certain and dependable. There is no question about that. But

it is here that the problem grows com-

plicated, for there is the human ele- > ment that must be taken into consideration. Human beings—unstandardiscd, variable, concerned with the ten thousand affairs of a complicated civilisation —arc not to be trusted to the same extent as the mechanical equipment of the modern motor car. This is the scientists premise laid down by dhe investigators. The scientist of to-day is practical. With millions of motor cars on the streets and highways the exact degree of dependability exercised by their drivers grows daily more important. Four-wheel brakes, good tyres etc., will do their full duty for us, but how about the other fellow with his uncertain mechanical appliances. If the mind works fast enough, and the muscles respond instantly when the eye calls for action, we go on our way in safety. But it in the fractionof a second the driver hesitates before, using whatever equipment, may be provided him, then a fender or two may have to be “bumped out” and reDucoed. The interval between the time the need for action is observed and tho limo that it- takes the driver to press down his foot on the brakes is called by science the reaction time. Dr. Moss and his colleagues attached

two revolvers to the running board of a motor car. One revolver was discharged to signal the driver of the emergency. It was the call for action. The shot left a red mark on the highway. The second revolver was connected with the brakes. The exact instant that the driver applied the brakes after hearing the first shot, this second gun was discharged leaving another distinct red mark. The firing of the guns, plus' the speed of the car, plus the red marks on the pavement, indicated the reaction time of the drivers tested. A special speedometer was used for minute accuracy in computing the final scores. The problem “How quickly can a driver stop?” became a mathematical, scientific, psychological one with the human being as the unknown factor, “X”. Dr. Moss used for his subjects fifty college and high school students, twelve taxicab drivers, twelve officers of the Motqr Transport Corps of the United States Army. All these were tested at graduated speeds. The drivers varied in their reaction scores. The grand average was slightly more than one-half second. Some were as low as 0.31 of a second and others as high as 1.02 seconds. Dr. Moss believes that there are many drivers found on the streets whose reaction times are as long as 1.5 or even 2.0 seconds. This is scientific confirmation of what you say to yourself when waiting for the tfuck, flivver or whatnot to decide to do something and do it. Taking the average of slightly more than one-half second, he calculated that “if a driver with a reaction time of such an average were travelling at the rate of thirty miles an hour, he would go approximately twenty-two feet after hearing the signal before beginning to apply the brakes, whereas a driver with as slow a reaction time as one and one-half second would go sixty-six feet before beginning to apply the brakes. “It should be borne in mind,” Dr. Moss said, “that this does not represent the time required for the brakes to stop the machine, but is the time that will elapse before the driver even puts his foot on the brake. From this it will be seen that even though a machine bad the finest set of brakes possible, the driver could not. begin to i stop it in the fifty feet usually allowed at a, speed of twenty miles an hour if he happened to have a one and one- . half second reaction time. In no juris- : diction is there the requirement that in. order to qualify to operate-a. motor cur an individual must be able to move bis foot from the accelerator to the 1 brake within a specified time. > Yet standardising the element in this re-. spent is fully as important as standardising the mechanical element.” The tests for the future driver are thus outlined, that is, if scientists and psychologists have their way about it. And they probably will. Of the groups tested with, revolvers and red marks the students varied the most. Taxicab drivers showed a general average of .41 of a second but most, of them had been driving cars more than six years , and from eight to fourteen hours a day. Experience was thus indicated as of special value. Here, say the ; men of science, if an individual is able to shorten his reaction time in two years from 0.70 second to 0.55 second this would indicate that the life of i the road had been of benefit. The congested traffic of the future will require mental qualifications equal to the reliability of the mechanical equipment of good motor curs, Dr.lMoss and the Federal scientists believe.

NEW BRITISH CAR LONDON, July 10. It has just been revealed that, the Morris Motor Company has produced secretly a special oversea six-cylinder model. It is of 20-h;p., with overhead valves, developing. 50-h.p. The car has hydraulic four-wheel brakes, is equipped with safety glass, and has an all-steel-body built integral with the chassis, which is a new principle in British manufacture. It has a 10ft. wheel-base, and a, 4ft. Sin. track. It is fitted with pneumatic upholstery. It has been tested out in the severest parts of Britain, find has forded a stream of a depth of 30 inches without interference to the ignition.

Critics describe it as a solid, sturdy, honest attempt to capture the Australian market. A tew models were shipped to Australia a fortnight ago, although no one outside the factory was aware of its manufacture until this week.

THIRD PARTY INSURANCE

AMENDMENT OF ACT WANTED

If a person is killed or injured by a.motorist who remains undiscovered, no, insurance can be claimed by the injured party, as the regulations governing third party risk stand at, present..

The recent fatality in' Papanui Road, Christchurch, has brought this anomaly under the notice of the Pioneer Sports Club, and it intends petitioning for an amendment to the Act. At the annual meeting of tho club, Mr. W. F. Marsh drew attention Jo the accident. The motorist responsible had not been apprehended and the relatives of tlie deceased could get no insurance, as they could not register their claim under the Act. He moved that the S.I.M.U. bo asked to take the matter up in an attempt to get tho Act so amended as to provide that, where a third party was injured by a motorist who remained unapprehended, the risk should be shared by all companies accepting motor third party insurance in proportion to the amount of premiums received. The motion was carried.

LEVEL CROSSINGS A suggestion was made recently by the Wanganui Automobile Association that an inspection of the overgrowth about level crossings should be made at least once a year, and as the bulk of the growth occurred in the spring, the inspection should take place in November or December. The General

Manager of Railways replied that it was not considered advisable to fix a definite date or period for the inspection of level crossings and the approaches thereto, but that the necessity for keeping down the growth of weeds in such localities had been impressed upon the staff. The North Island Union reiterated the opinion that a definite period should be set aside for the inspection. To this Mr. Sterling replied that his Department was willing to remove any obstructions, such as trees, banks, etc., on railway property which impaired the view at level crossings. In this connection a crossing improvement programme was being drawn up, and the Railway Department is collaborating with the Public Works department to improve the visibility in places where the obstructions were on other than railway property. In cases where overgrowth of the kind was likely to ocpur when the visibility was reasonably igood, and which would not come into the improvement programme, he is of ■the opinion that his action is impressing the necessity of keeping down the growth upon the staff reasonably met the position.

HINTS ON MAINTENANCE Oil is a trap for dust, so always wipe the spout or tap of an oil drum before and after taking a supply of oil from it. If oil be spilled on the floor of a motor house it can be removed by scattering sawdust on it and giving the sawdust time to soak it up. When about to carry out any repairs or adjustments do not forget the proverb, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” Even if you are only going to change a plug see that there is no accumulation of dust or dead flies which could fall into the cylinder when the plug is withdrawn.

' When a nut or bolt is secured by a lock-nut do not attempt to undo it before loosening the lock-nut. When any adjustment has been made always tighten the lock-nut at once in case it should be forgotten. When dismantling any part provide yourself with a suitable receptacle into which all nuts, bolts, and small items may be placed to prevent loss. Before decarbonising make sure that a spare gasket is available, also anyother spares that may conceivably be needed.

Never use a fluffy rag for wiping any internal part of the engine, such as the dipstick, as particles of fluff may be carried into the lubrication system and help to cause a stoppage. Always use the special spanners provided in preference to a movable spanner, as the latter tends to burr the corners of a nut.

In dismantling any component make a careful mental note of the order in which the various parts are taken down, so that no mistake can be made in reassembling. Do not use too much force in tightening small bolts and nuts or they may be broken. SHORT RUNS A parking place is a hole between two cars, generally found on the opposite side of the street to the one you are on.

One hundred and seven countries use motor cars and seven manufacture them *

For the first time a State has passed the 2,000,000 motor vehicle registration mark, New York reaching a total of 2,083,942 in 1928. Au automobile club for youngsters over 80 has been organised by Gustav •Hellermann, 91, at Hagen, Germany. Twenty foundation members joined. Motor cars are finding their way into every corner of the Near Hast. Desert rulers, robed tribesmen, and keen Oriental traders buy their motor-cars or trucks on the instalment plan like-the rest of the world is doing. In Palestine' motor traffic is developing so ■rapidly that the railway fare on the ex-tensively-used Jerusalem-Haifa route has been cut in half to compete with automobile transport. To help the colour blind the American Engineering Council recommends standard usages for placing light signals throughout the country. It suggests that when the traffic lights are vertically arranged the red light should be placed at the top, the yellow light between (if used) and the green light at the bottom. If the lights, are set up in a row the red should be at the left, (lie yellow in the middle and the green pn the right. The theory is that mauy traffic mishaps can be thus avoided as those colour blind or unfamiliar with colours can depend on the position of the light's. When a six or eight cylinder engine begins to misfire on one cylider on the road it is not worth while making an immediate stoppage to trace the faulty

‘.-parking plug. Even with a proper testing instrument it may be quite difficult to identify the faulty plug with any rapidity. The correct procedure is to drive on for say, half a mile, open the bonnet, and feel all the vparking plugs. ’The plug which has been out of action during the las!, half-mile will by that time be almost cold —at all events it will be quite perceptibly cooler than those which have been firing all the time.

According ,te the statistics gleaned a< lhe New York. Automobile Show, wire wheels arc in growing favour in t.b.-j United States. At this recent show, out of 281 cars, 50 per. cent. hv.il wire wheels, 34 per cent, wood, and G per cent, disc wheels, while at tile smaller show, out of .116 curs, wire wheels appeared on 73 percent., wood on 26 per cent., and disc on 1 per cent. It is stated that wire wheels would have been in even greater prominence were it not for difficulties of supply. Many motorists imagine that the dynamo should be charging the battery whenever possible—often it is kept working during a two hundred miles run by daylight. Probably more batteries are ruined by over charging than by under-charging. If charging is continued when the batteries are already full, the surplus current is disposed of by an increase of the temperature of the electrolyte, causing evaporation of the water, and by the generation of a gas which rises in bubbles from the positive plates. Each of these bubbles carries with it a. minute particle of the plate, and although this disintegration is slow, its effects will be eventually disastrous. When all lamps are switched on, of course, the dynamo should always be charging. The remarkable growth of bowser petrol stations throughout New Zealand has created a new industry in Auckland —the inanufacture of bowsers. The demand that has developed for equipment of this kind is demonstated by the fact that in the Au/:kland province alone there are 700 garages and service stations, many of which have up to eight bowsers on their premises. It was reported to a meeting of the 2\malgamated Society of Engineers that, conditions. in the trade had improved slightly in recent months, owing to a firm commencing to manufacture petrol pumps. The demand for pumps was steady, and the firm, which hud formerly lijeen slack, was now employing forty hands.